In Brief: Iona, Altova Partner to Release Web Services Platform

Iona and Altova have created a strategic partnership that will bundle together Altova’s XMLSPY 5 and Iona’s Orbix E24 Web Services Integration Platform – XMLBus Edition. Combined, the two products create a web services development environment that allows programmers to use either legacy code written in Corba, EJB or Java, or build new applications using visual tools for WSDL and XML schemas.

In Brief: ItemField Introduces ContentMaster XML Converter

ItemField Inc. has introduced an XML parser generator that it believes can convert any data into XML in real time without the need for additional code. The system aims to allow conversion between unresolved XML schemas automatically. It contains a meta-level parser that imports from a COBOL copybook or existing schema and generate a schema, parser or serializer. ContentMaster is available in Windows and Unix versions.

In Brief: IPTC Bullish on Prospects for NewsML

The International Press Telecommunications Council is reporting robust interest in its NewsML data format for news management. NewsML has been adopted by PR Newswire for its Disclosure U.K. regulatory news feed, as is the London Stock Exchange for its Regulatory News Services, and is being considered by the other Primary Information Providers in that space. Elsewhere, the U.K. Press Association is using the format for its UK PA News service and plans to add a mixed-media service based entirely in NewsML. In Japan, the format has been adopted by a collaboration of major news agencies, publications and electronic information vendors, as it has been also in China. Agence France Presse and its AFX News subsidiary are using the format to as a standard for delivery of text, pictures and multimedia.